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    Inky mushroom

    Agaricus moelleri W.Ch.Sm. · Agaricaceae

    Also: Dark scaled mushroom

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Inky mushroom
    Photo: Danny Cicchetti · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The inky mushroom is a whitish Agaricus with a dark cap centre and grey scales. It smells unpleasantly chemical and causes gastrointestinal upset.

    SeasonJuly to October
    Spore printchocolate brown
    FamilyAgaricaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 5 to 10 cm wide, whitish with grey to blackish-brown scales and often a darker centre.
    2. Underside. The gills are free, pink when young, later chocolate brown.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white with a hanging ring; the base turns yellow when rubbed or cut. There is no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells of ink, iodoform or phenol. Never taste it.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and turns distinctly chrome yellow at the stem base.

    Lookalikes

    It looks like the edible wood mushrooms and the prince, but smells of ink or phenol and turns yellow when cut.

    Side by side

    Inky mushroomEuropean destroying angelYellow-stainerThe princeBlushing Wood Mushroom
    Capwhitish with grey scales, 5 to 10 cmwhite, 5 to 12 cm, smoothwhite, smooth, 5 to 15 cmbrown scaly, up to 30 cmreddish brown with brown scales, 4 to 10 cm
    Undersidegills turning pinkpure white gillsgills turning pinkpink to brown gillspink to brown gills
    Stemwhite, ring, base turns yellowwhite with volva, ring does not turn brownwhite, ring, base turns strongly yellowthick stem, large ringwhitish with browning ring
    Fleshwhite, smell of phenolfirm, whitewhite, softfirm, nutty scentfirm, browning
    EdibilityPoisonousdeadly poisonouspoisonousedible with restrictionsedible

    Habitat & Season

    Nutrient-rich, often calcareous soils. Mainly at low to medium altitudes.

    Host trees

    Deciduous trees in mixed and deciduous woods, also parks.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Late summer in deciduous woods.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: Collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned, except single specimens for identification.

    Poisoning

    ToxinPhenol-like compounds and related substances, as in the yellow-stainer.
    SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
    SymptomsNausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, sometimes dizziness.
    OnsetUsually within a few hours of the meal.
    What to do now: This is an emergency, even if there are no symptoms yet. Go to a hospital immediately or call 999 / 112 and the poison centre (NHS 111, England). Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, and do not be misled by an apparent improvement. Do not induce vomiting. Keep leftover mushrooms, cleaning scraps and vomit, and tell everyone who shared the meal.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the inky mushroom poisonous?

    Yes, it is poisonous and smells typically of ink or phenol. Do not mistake it for edible Agaricus mushrooms.

    What is it most easily mistaken for?

    For the blushing wood mushroom and the prince. Check the smell, the yellowing and the gill colour; if in doubt, do not eat it.

    What should I do if I suspect poisoning?

    Call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately, even if you have no symptoms yet. Keep the mushroom remains.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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